Follow by Email

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

'When the public realm is vibrant, beautiful, and active, it is a demonstration that the local government values its citizens and their quality of life. Alternatively, when the public realm is neglected, badly designed, or treated as an after through, it reflects poorly on the city, effectively sending a message that the government does not value its citizens or its visitors. At the Design Trust, we believe that well-designed, beautiful public spaces have the power to restore a sense of dignity to our urban environment, enrich our civic life and foster a sense of ownership in local residents.'- Megan CanningDeputy DirectorThe Design Trust for Public Spaceshttp://designtrust.org

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

I show this graph and include the brief info from a New York Times article below to argue that we need dedicated funding for active transportation infrastructure (walking, biking, public transportation) here in Nashville.

We don't currently have this: every year, the funding has to be asked for - there is no guarantee and this leads to instability and difficulty in setting long term plans. Hence, we haven't planned well and we now experience the situation where buses let you off on small concrete pads that connect to nothing on very busy streets and we have 1/8 of mile of sidewalk for every mile of roadways. Every complains of traffic. And yet, in our neighborhoods, we have major connector streets lacking sidewalks that could lead residents to walk to run errands, but are instead lined with dangerous ditches.

Nashville is experiencing a boom and yet are missing the opportunity to harvest some of this revenue to create a superior walking experience.

I'd argue that there is no great walking city in the South...why not make Nashville the first?

Nashville’s Skyline Being Reshaped by Building Boom

NASHVILLE — A powerful surge in construction is reshaping the physical character and economy of this 236-year-old river city, and fueling a deepening public conversation about essential civic values that many residents worry could be lost.